1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal box for solar cell module.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solar photovoltaic system is so constructed as to supply direct currents from a solar cell panel laid on the roof of a house or building to electrical goods via an inverter or the like. The solar cell panel is comprised of a plurality of solar cell modules, and electrodes of the respective solar cell modules are connected in series or in parallel via terminal boxes.
A known terminal box is such that a pair of terminal boards are juxtaposed on a base plate forming the bottom of a box main body, a plus electrode and a minus electrode drawn from the underside of the solar cell module are connected with one ends of the both terminal boards, and ends of cables for external connection are connected with the other ends of the both terminal boards (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 348945). A bypass diode for reverse flow/short circuit bridges the two terminal boards. This bypass diode is constructed such that two conductive pieces extend in opposite directions with a bare chip interposed therebetween and the extending ends thereof are connected with the corresponding terminal boards by soldering. Further, each terminal board is formed with a hole, and the teeth of an inner clip washer provided on the inner periphery of this hole are caused to bite in a projection standing on the base plate, whereby each terminal board is individually fixed to the base plate.
If an attempt is made to fix the both terminal boards to the base plate with the bypass diode connected between the two terminal boards, the other terminal board is in a free state together with the bypass diode while one terminal board is fixed. Thus, there has been a possibility that an undue strain is generated in a connecting part of the bypass diode and the terminal board and the bypass diode is deformed or disconnected from the terminal board. Particularly, if an attempt is made to connect the bypass diode to the terminal boards by reflow soldering, the connecting operation of the bypass diode has to be finished before the both terminal boards are fixed to the base plate. Thus, the strain acting on the bypass diode considerably increases according to the above method, wherefore a solution to it has been strived for.
The present invention was completed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to reduce a strain which will act on a bypass diode at the time of fixing two terminal boards.